The present invention relates, in general, to fluid quick connectors which couple male and female connector components.
Snap-fit or quick connectors are employed in a wide range of applications, particularly, for joining fluid carrying conduits in automotive and industrial application. Such quick connectors utilize retainers or locking elements for securing a male connector component, such as a tubular conduit, within a complimentary bore of a female connector component or housing. Such retainers are typically of either the axially-displaceable or radially-displaceable type. The terms xe2x80x9caxially-displaceablexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cradially-displaceablexe2x80x9d are taken relative to the axial bore through the female component.
In a typical quick connector with an axially displaceable retainer, the retainer is mounted within a bore in a housing of the female connector component of housing. The retainer has a plurality of radially and angularly extending legs which extend inwardly toward the axial center line of the bore in the housing. A tube or male component to be sealingly mounted in the bore in the female component includes a radially upset portion or flange which abuts an inner peripheral surface of the retainer legs. Seal and spacer members as well as a bearing or top hat are typically mounted in the bore ahead of the retainer to form a seal between the housing and the male fitting when the male fitting is lockingly engaged with the retainer legs in the housing.
Radially displaceable retainers are also known in which the retainer is radially displaceable through aligned bores or apertures formed transversely to the main throughbore in the female component housing. The radially displaceable retainer is typically provided with a pair of depending legs which are sized and positioned to slip behind the radially upset portion or flange on the male conduit only when the male connector or conduit is fully seated in the bore in the female component. This ensures a positive locking engagement of the conduit with the female component as well as providing an indication that the conduit is fully seated since the radially displaceable retainer can be fully inserted into the female component only when the conduit has been fully inserted into the bore in the female component.
The above described fluid quick connectors use a male component or endform which meets SAE standards in terms of the raised bead height, depth, etc.
Other quick connectors utilize retainers designed to lockingly engage beadless endforms. Such retainers are typically in the form of an annular clip with a plurality of radially inward extending, flexible fingers, which engage the endform at an angle to resist pullout of the endform from the connector housing.
While such fluid quick connectors have found widespread use in fluid handling applications, it is believed that a new style of fluid quick connector will provide additional advantages compared to such prior fluid quick connectors.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a fluid quick connector which provides a visible indication of a fully inserted endform into the connector housing. It would also be desirable to provide a fluid quick connector in which the endform cannot be fully inserted into the housing when the retainer is in the fully latched position in the housing. It would also be desirable to provide a fluid quick connector which has an easier to make and less expensive endform design.
Generally, the present invention is a fluid quick connector having a unique retainer and endform configuration for releasably latching the endform in the connector body.
In one aspect, the fluid quick connector includes a connector body configured to axially mate with a tubular endform having a groove or recess adjacent a first end, the first end of the endform insertable into the connector body, and a retainer transversely displaceable with respect to the connector body between a release position and an engaged position with the body and the tubular endform. The retainer has an inward extending projection engagable with the recess in the tubular endform to effect interlocking between the connector body and the tubular endform when the retainer is in the engaged position.
In one aspect, the recess is an annular groove in the endform. The groove has a radially inward end of a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the endform. The projection on the retainer may extend up to substantially 180xc2x0 around the retainer. Further, the projection can be formed of one or more arcuate continuous or discontinuous segments.
The projection on the retainer and the recess in the endform are complementary shaped for releasable interlocking only when the endform is fully inserted into the bore in the connector body.
The fluid quick connector of the present invention provides a unique retainer and endform configuration which reduces manufacturing costs of the endform since the endform does not have to meet current SAE standards for the conventional fluid quick connectors with an endform having a raised flange. Further, most existing retainers can be employed with only minor modifications necessary to implement the radially inward extending projection. At the same time, the inventive fluid quick connector provides all of the standard fluid quick connector functions of sealing engagement of the endform in the connector body, high endform pullout retention forces, and a visual indication of a non-fully inserted endform position in the connector body.